Tarun Tahiliani opens IBFW with Mughal inspired show

New Delhi: Combining Indian craftsmanship and western clothing, designer Traun Tahiliani showcased his opulent Mughal-themed wedding collection as he kick-started the BMW India Bridal Fashion Week sans any Bollywood celebs in attendance.

Aptly titled `Modern Mughals`, the line was a melange of home-grown craftsmanship perfected over generations with the fit, finish and functionality of western dressing. Despite being a bridal collection, Tahiliani`s clothes had a generous doze of the colour black, which is normally considered inauspicious for Indian weddings. "Black is my favourite colour. I love to use it. It adds a lot of opulence to clothes. I know that when we look at brides we don`t really think of black but I think the colour can be used in the other wedding functions other than the main event," Tahiliani said after the show. The use of modern fabric like sheer silks, reshams and tulle made the ensembles lighter besides giving ease of movement. The silhouettes were structured drape that represents Tahiliani?s modern Indian woman. The bling factor in the overall collection was restricted to just the jewellery among which the maangtikas-cum-mohwaks were stand-out pieces. "I decided to keep the jewellery minimal because that?s how I like it. I don`t like a bib of heavy jewellery hanging on the neck. The bride`s face should be seen. I have used very light jewellery designed by a brand Outhouse in Noida. I have also used these maangtikas which I have named ?maangawk? because they begin like a maangtika and end like a mohawk," the designer said. For the menswear, Tahiliani used plenty of gold, unconventional pistacchio, deep oranges and even even wilder punk palette for luxurious linings. "Men are more involved with their look in the wedding these days. They are equally interested in their look and clothes like the brides and that is why I thought of focusing in menswear," he said. When asked why he did not invite any celebrities from Bollywood to walk the ramp or to attend the show, Tahiliani said, "I wanted the focus on the clothes... Don`t want people to just talk about my showstopper."